Denture clamp



i/ 1944- c. HALLER V 2,348,471

DENTURE CLAMP Filed Aug. 26, 1945 mvsm'on Crmnus H LLER.

Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT 2 348,471

DENTURE CLAMP Charles" Haller, Denver, Colt,

Application-August fifi, 194s; SeriaKNo. :somrs'r (onsz mi) This: invention" relates to holding or clamping means employableinconrrection with prosthetic dentures, and more particularly to' removable and" replaceable means adapted to engage at" times with a dental pl'alteorappliance as positioned'. for useand hold said plate or appliance against displacement;

A further object of'theinve'ntion is to provide" asimple, conveniently removableandreplaceable clamp primarily adapted" fbrengagement witha lower. dental plate or'appliance to yieldably'but securely holdisai'd plate or appliance in the de siredsseated re1ation"with the jaw of a user'- during eating, operations.

Afurther object of the invention is to provide a denture; clamp of the character described adapted for instant installation or" removal relative to, ardentalrplate or appliance without the use off-tools A further object of theinvention is'to provide a.denture,clampof. the character describedzthat presentsa minimum of discomfort to the userand'little interference with normalmuscular and dental'lfunctions. when .in use. V

Alfurther object-ofithe invention is to provide adenturerclamp of'the character described" that? is. simple. andi inexpensive of manufacture, susceptible of convenient cleaning and sterilization, readilyadjustable .torexactly fit the requirements of, a specific user, ,durable, and" which is positive V and:eiiicientv intaccomplishing. the purposes for which designed;-

My" invention consists-in the construction, rarrangement, and combination of elements hereinaitehset forth, pointed outin myclaims, and" illustrated by the accompanying drawing,- in Which:--

Figure l is'a-frontelevation of a preferred :formv of the improved-.clamp-as constructed and --as-- sembled readyforvuse: Figure 2 is a cross-section taken on the indicated line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is a longitudinal section taken on the indicated line 3-3 of Figure 2. Figure 4 is an elevation, on a somewhat reduced scale, showing the device of Figure 1 as positioned for actual use, the tooth elements of the appliance engaged by the clamp being illustrated in full lines, and

the relative position of the users head being indicated by broken lines.

In the construction of the improvement as shown, the numeral l designates, generally, a frame member whereon the other elements of the device are mounted in operative association. The frame member l0 may be variously constructed and arranged to provide theelements essential to its function, and is shown asain integra-l; rigidunit pressed or mou1ded-t'c' the desir ed forrn rrom any suitable material} seen as synthetic -resins, plastics of various types} light weight' metals and alloys; and thelike; As will be apparent rrom the following detail descri p--- 7 tion or" the functions and relationships of the elements: comprised in the frame member l fij; saidmember may, if desired, be constructed? otherwisetnanby pressing or moulding" and may take'the form of 'an assembly of rigidly-- interconnected', separateenments; Whateverbe its specific construction, theframe member It" includes a; rigid, substantially straight bar'-por=- tion ll, desirablycontouredinitsnriidportion tb engage beneath and bear comfortably upwardly against the chin ofa user; of'a lengthsufiicient' tojprovide like, oppositely directed end portions" I'Z eiitending beyOnd'thej aws' oftheuser. Spaced" webs 1'3 areformed with or are fixed to the midportion of the bar I anddepend from the under surface of said bar in' longitudinally dis posed, parallel relation to define a downWardIyopening slot disposed in longitudinal alignment with said bar. The webs I3 serve to brace; strengthen and stiffen the bar H as" wellas'to provide a mounting for othenelements' of the" device.

Ilile pins 14* engage; preferably removablyl'i spaced parailelismthrough the'websli'iii 1n er secting relation with the slot" d'efin'ed By" said Webs, said pins being similarly'spaced below'the adjacent under: side of the bar I"I and Iike"aistance's from the" transverse center" line" orsa'i'a bar; and saidpins serve"tomountan"d position'a air of hairpirr'typ'e spring elements, each of whicl'i'hasan intermediateportion coil'eu'aboiita pin" l 4 within the slot defi'ne'd b'y 'the webs f3, a terminal portion 1-5 directed outwardly of said" slot irrbearingrelatiomwitif the un'd'er"side of the bar H, and a sprin'g"arm l6di'i'e'cted at'an acute angle with the portion IE to extend outwardly and downwardly from between the webs I3 for termination in a knobbed or otherwise enlarged end well beyond the associated web margins and in spaced, underlying relation with the corresponding bar end portion I2. As will be apparent, the spring elements are so coiled about their respective pins I4 as to tension their spring arms 16 to yieldably resist displacement towards the corresponding bar ends 12.

Each of the bar end portions I2 is intersected by an enlarged hole I! through each of which is loosely and slidably received the shaft of a pullrod l8 which slidabhr engages at its lower end,

as by means of an eye l9 formed on said end of the pull-rod, with the adjacent spring arm l6 and is prevented from separation from said arm by the knob or enlargement terminating the latter. The upper extension of each pull-rod I8 'is bent at substantially a right angle with its positioned for use on the lower jaw of auser;

the hook 22 engaging inner surfaces of the teeth or appliance structure to prevent outward longitudinal retraction of the arm from its engaged relation, j v

Functioning of the device for the purpose of holding dental appliances or plates in position and against displacement during eating operationsshould be obvious from the showing and foregoing description. With an appliance in place on the lower jaw of a wearer, the bar II is positioned beneath the users chin, the pull-rods l8 moved upwardly against the resisting tension of their respectively-engaged spring arms I 6, the arms 20 entered through the corners of the mouth to engagement of their hooked ends between the teeth 23, and the pull-rods then released to permit the action of the spring arms Hi to be ,'transmitted through said pull-rods and their arms 20 to yieldingly but firmly hold the denture in place. Upper surfaces of the arms 20 are recessed in'the notches or grooves provided so that they are below the adjacent tooth surfaces, and the enlarged holes I! permit such motion of the pull-rod shafts as may be necessary to fit the devicej'comfo'r'tably to the lips and chin of theuser;

Since many changes, modifications and variations in the specific form, construction and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of my invention; I wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than'by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

l. A denture clamp of the character described, comprising a frame member engageable beneath the'chin of a user, hooked rods slidably mounted through opposite ends of said frame member for engagement of their hooked upper ends with a lower dental appliance, and spring means engaging between said rods and frame member to yieldingly urge the hooked ends of said rods to- Wards the frame member.

2. A denture clamp of the character described, comprising a bar-like frame member engageable beneath the chin of a user and adapted to extend at each end beyond the jaws of the user, rods loosely and freely slidable through the ends of said frame member, inwardly-directed hooks on the upper ends of said rods engageable with opposite sides of a lower dental appliance, and resiliently-yieldable means engaging between said rods and frame member to urge the hooked ends of the former towards the latter.

"3. A denture clamp of the character described,

- comprising a bar-like frame member adapted for engagement beneath the chin of auser with its 'ends projecting beyond the users jaws, a hole intersecting each end of said frame member, a shaft loosely and slidably received in each of said holes, a hook on the upper end of each of said shafts inwardly overhanging said frame member for engagement with an adjacent portion of a lower dental appliance, and spring means carried by and beneath said frame member in slidable engagement with lower ends of said shafts to yieldingly urge the hooked ends of said shafts towards said frame member.

4. A denture clamp of the character described, comprising a bar-like frame member adapted to engage beneath and project at each end beyond the chin of a user, shafts loosely and slidably engaging through the projecting ends of said frame a member, inwardlydirected, hooked arms on the upper ends of said shafts engageable with opposite sides of a lower dentalappliance, spaced webs depending from the under side of said frame member to define a downward and endwise opening slot longitudinally beneath said member, pins removably intersecting said slot, and a spring carried by each of said pins in slidable engagement with the lower end of an adjacent shaft to yieldingly urge the hooked end of the latter towards said frame member.

5. In a device of the character described, a frame member comprising a substantially straight, bar-like portion adapted to engage beneath and project at each end beyond the chin of a user and spaced; parallel webs depending from the central under side of said bar-like portion to define a slot longitudinally of and opening downwardly from the frame member, shafts loosely and .slidably engaging through relatively enlarged holes in the projecting ends of the frame member, angularly-related, inwardly-extending arms on the upper ends of said shafts, hooks on the inner ends of said arms engageable at times with opposite sides of a lower dental appliance, and" resiliently-yieldable means operatively mounted in and extending beyond the slot be- I tween said webs in slidable engagement with low- 

